[Senate  Bill,  No.  190.] 

SENATE,  February  10,  1865.— Read  first  and  second  times, 
referred  to  Committee  on  Military  Affairs,  and  ordered  to  be 
printed. 

[  By  Mr.  Oldham.] 


A  BILL 

To  provide  for  Raising  Two  Hundred  Thousand   Negro  Troops. 

1  Section  1.   The  Congress  of  the  Confederate  States  of  Ame- 

2  rica  do  enact,  That  the  President  of  the  Confederate  States  be 

3  and  he  is  hereby  autliorized  to  receive  into  the  military  service, 

4  any  number  of  negro  troops  not  to  exceed  two  hundred  thousand. 

1  Sec.  2.  That  the  President  be  and  he  is  authorized,  to  assign 

2  officers  already  appointed,  or  make  appointments  of  officers,  to 

3  raise  and  command  said  troops ;   and  the  same,  when  raised, 

4  shall  be  organized  as  provided  under  existing  laws. 

1  Sec.  3.  That  no  negro  slave  shall  be  received  into  the  ser- 

2,  :  vice  without  the  written  consent  of  his  owner  and  under  such 

3  regulations  as  may  be  prescribed  by  the  Secretary  of  War  to 

4  carry  into  eflfect  this  act.  ^ 

1  Sec.  4.  That  it  is  hereby  declared,  that  Congress  does  not 

2  hereby  assume  to  change  the  social  and  political  status  of  the 

3  slave  population  of  the  States,  but  leaves  the  same  under  the 

4  jurisdiction  and  control  of  the  States  to  which  it  belongs. 


